Automatic machine



March 19, 1935. F. SCHULTE 1,995,229

AUTOMATIC MACHINE Filed Oct. 13, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNve- "7- March 19, 1935. SCHULTE 1,995,229

AUTOMATI C MACHINE Filed Oct.- 13, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 19, 1935. SCHULTE AUTOMATIC MACHINE Filed Oct. 13, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 8.

March 19, 1935. F. SCHULTE AUTOMATIC MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 13, 1952 Patented Mar. 19, 1935 UNlTED srArEs.

. 1.995.229 AUTOMATIC MACHINE Fritz Schulte, Berlin-Halensee, Germany Application October 13, In Germany 1932, Serial No. 637,661 June 1, 1931 1 Claim. 6 (01. 194-58) leasing the packages after insertion of acoin as well as the store of goods and the space for receiving the moneyas compact as possible while ensuring satisfactory action and protection 4 against theft. I

This problem is solved by the invention in a simple manner in that the withdrawal of the package from the stock is efiected by means of a slide which after being released by ,the inserted coin engages in its end position at the rear the uppermost package of the stock and ejects it at its return while at the same time holding back by means of its driver the pile'of packages and preventing them from being raised. It is, therefore, impossible for the packages to beremoved from the casing of the automatic machine improperly because the pile is not accessible. At the same time a comparatively small casing is used because the packages can be moved directly from the pile to a track from which they pass to the delivery slot.. It is therefore not necessary' first to move the packages forwards and then to guide them on to a track. The latter may be attached directly to the shaft. For receiving the money a small space is sufiicient, which is only a coin since in such automatic machines as a rule only a small number of packages are in-'- serted at one time. In addition, provision is made for closing the coin slot after the last packagehas been withdrawn and also for locking-the movement of the slide itself in certain positions so that, for example, when a coin'is inserted the slide cannot be moved back when it has been drawn out a certain distance. The slide must be drawn out to its end position before the release of the package is possible.

According to further features of the invention the coin tester is so arranged that it rejects coins or discs which are wrapped in foil and also a magnet is provided which prevents magnetic coins setting the machine in motion. The magnetic testing device has the advantage that it cannot be put out of action bydrawing away the coin by means ofa wire or the like inserted through the slot. By this invention it has been made possible for the first time to provide a magnetic coin tester in such small automatic machines.

a few millimetres broader than Thev accompanying drawings illustrate one constructional example of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a vertical section on the line. 2-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 a horizontal Fig. 2. I

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a detail.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through the casing of the machine showing the coin releasing member in detail.

Fig. 5 shows the automatic machine combined with ash-trays in side elevation.

Fig; 6 is a plan corresponding to: Fig. 5.

Fig. Tie a part section through the casing with a side elevation of the coin tester and the cooper'ating1parts in another constructional ex-' ample.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on the line 88 of Fig. '7, the section line 7-7 therein shows the section of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a view corresponding to Fig. 7 with section on the line 3-3 of the slide and coin tester moved forward some-.

what.

Fig. l0'is a horizontal section approximately on the line 1010 of Fig. 8 turned through 180.

Fig. 11' is a vertical section through the automatic machine with magnetic tester.

Fig.712 is a vertical part section on the line 12-12 of Fig. 11.

Fig; 13 is a vertical part longitudinal section as in Fig. 11 with the side drawn forward.

Fig. 14 is a horizontal part section on the line 14 14 of Fig. 12; I Y The casing a (Figs. 1-6) contains the shaft 1) for a pile ofpackages, for example flat boxes 01 of matches. The pile rests on a pressure plate 0 which is acted on bya spring 0 and presses the packages upwards by means of a strip c". The casing a is closed at the top by a cover e and an intermediate cover e'.- Between the two covers is guided the slide f which by means of a handle f projecting through the slot cover e is longitudinally displaceable in this slot. A second fixed handle g in the cover e serves as a holder so that the handle 1" can be displaced against the action of the springm engaging between the slide and the casing a. In its forward position with a driver (2' on the uppermost packing e and thereby holds the. pile back. Only in its end position (Fig. 2) the driver engages over the uppermost package 01 which now. .by means of the spring c' is pressed against the strip 0' on the casing a. The casing is recessed at d".

"in the in'Fig. 1 the slide i rests so that the driver d can pass through sufficiently far.

Between the cover e and the slide 1 a cover plate g is interposed which in the end positions of the slide 1 moveswith it and always covers the slot f" in the cover e so that nothing can fall through it into the interior of the casing.

The slide carries the coin tester h which consists of a longitudinal wall with transverse webs h and h running in the shape of wedges. Between these lies the coin 12 inserted through the slot m" (Fig. 3) into a lateral shaft 1)" which is divided off in the casing a by the parti: tion m an arm 70 is mounted at k which is moved backwardly by a spring is" acting on its end. This arm I: rests on the uppermost trans- I verse web 71. and provided with a tooth Z made a such an extent that the 7 upper in the shape of a ratchet so that a locking surface 2' is obtained. The side wall of the coin tester h is broken at q so that in the aperture a wedge-like stop Z" on the casing can pass through in the end position of the slide f. In the space between the two covers e and e there is also arranged a bolt 11. which at the end n" is bent over in the form of a hook and usually rests in its lower position so as to leave open the path for the slide ,1 until the latter can abut against the casing wall with its left hand under cut end 5'. The slide engagesjby means of a lateral extension s under a coin slot m in the casing and isprovided with a slot m which uncovers the slot m" in the return position shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The bolt n carries a' pin 0 projecting into the shaft 1) and located above the stop 0''.

The mode of operation of the automatic vend ing machine is as follows: A coin inserted in the slot m falls into the coin tester h and remains between its webs h and h, as shown in Figs. 1-4. If now the two handles g and f are relatively displaced, the slide 1 moves into the end position shown in Fig. 2. h Then the arm k, on account of its tooth I being lifted by the coin i, is raised together with the locking tooth Z to coin tester h with its upper web it" can slide unhindered below the arm 70. If it is-attempted to move the two handles f and g withoutinserting a coin, the

'web It impinges against the tooth Z and the forward movement of the slide 3 is pre vented. After the insertion of a coin, however, the two handles f and y can be relatively moved so far that the slide 1 with its driver 11 moves into the recess d in the Wall of the casing. The spring 0 now presses the pile of packages upwards and the uppermost package d bears from below against the strip 0 and thus comes above the upper edge of the guiding track b which leads to the withdrawal slot a". If now the handle f is released the spring m draws the slide 3 back and its driver (1 moves the upper most package at over the guiding track b on which it slides out. Shortly before the end position of the forward stroke of the slide 1 the wedge-shaped stop Z" '(Fig. 4 presses the coin i out of the cointester it so that it now falls into the shaft 22.

This wedge-shaped stop Z is so arranged that it ejects the coin z' from the coin tester h before the driver (1' engages the uppermost package at in order to prevent theslide with the coin being drawn back again and a package beingat the same time moved forwards.

When the last package is removed the stop 0" impinges against the pin 0 and the spring 0 thereby presses the bolt 12 upwards whereby its hook at" lies in front of the front edge 3 of the slide The latter cannot now complete its forward stroke but is held back somewhat. The strip 8 below the slot m" therefore does not move right back and the insertion of the coin is prevented.

With the casing a. of such a vending machine, ashtrays 22 may of course be combinedin a known .manner. These preferably consist of an artificial material and not of metal.

In the constructional example shown in Figs. 7-10 the arrangement in general is similar to that described above. Under the cover 0 of the casing a is guidedthe slide j which carries the coin tester h which slides laterally below the coin slot m. This has pairs of guiding pins h and hf. The upper pair 71 allows a coin of correct size to fall while the lower pair 71." holds the coin back so that when the slide 1 is moved in the direction of the arrow it can lift the release pawl. 1 The front pin h then slides freely under the pawl k and allows the slide f to be moved to the'end positionsothat by means'of its pin d it can engage a'package d and eject it. Below the coinjslot m" there are arranged on the coin tester h resilient tongues u which, for example,-

are mounted on or stamped out of a disc 11. of r'e-' silient' sheet metal. They projectfinto thepath of the coin so that the coinhas to bepressed between the tongues u with a light pressure. In this way foil which has been wrapped round a coin of smallvalue is scratched off and the coin drops through between the pair of pins h" and cannot cause the pawl 7c to'be released. same way cardboard discs which are inserted are damaged at the circumference.

A third resilient tongue 1: is arranged on a spring arm 12 secured to the casing. It is dis-- posed somewhat upwardly and thus engages with its tongue 01 in the initial position of the slide ,1 under the front web 71. The coin tester h has in itslower edge a notch 12 which forms a locking tooth. When a coin of the correct size is inserted the tongue 0 slides past the coin which overcomes the pressure of the spring arm 11 becausejit comes to'lie under the point of the pawl is during the movement of the slide 1 (Fig. 9)

The tongue 11 then does not come in engagement with the notch 12". If, on the other hand, a'card disc is inserted, the tongue 1) is pressed into the disc and also engages in the notch 1)" so that the slide 7 is prevented from further movement.-

' For limiting the swinging movement of the pawl 70 which is acted on by its spring is there is a further pin w on the coin tester h which prevents the pawl lc being lifted from without by means of a flat article such as a paper strip as not been moved forward Another pin 'w on the pawl 70 bears against a strip a: on an inner wall {12 of the casing 11. In-this way the pawl 1c is prevented from swinging too far downwards.

A further improvement consists finally in that the pressure plate 0 which forces the packages at upwards against the slide fis perforated at y. Through this perforation a spring arm 0 can project. with its erect pin y as soon as the last package is ejected. This spring arm, by means of the piny then forces the member 11. upwards which prevents the slide I being moved back to long as the'slide ;f has to any great extent.

its end position'in 'order'to close theslot m" for V 'coin testing device is shown 14. In the casing In the a there is mounted at 2 a swinging arm 2 which carries a magnet z. The distance through which the arm 2 and the magnet .2 can swing is so limited that it lies closely in front of the coin tester h so that an inserted coin i can slide past the magnet 2 (Fig. 12). If the coin i is magnetic it is attracted and held by the magnet z. The swinging arm 2 carries a nose 22 which bears against a wedge surface 21 of the slide J. On the casing 11 is also placed a scraper 20 which preferably consists of prongs embracing the magnet z. When a magnetic coin is inserted it is attracted by the magnet z and when the slide is moved a little is drawn out of the coin tester h. Then the Wedge surface 21 on the slide 1 presses the nose 22 with thearm 2 and the magnet 2 so far back that the coin i is withdrawn from the coin tester h. When the coin tester h is 7 further moved back by means of its nose 22 the coin 2' lies against the scraper 20 and then falls in the coin box and is not returned.

Such a magnetic coin tester can be built into small automatic machines which has not hitherto been possible because the usual magnetic coin testers had to be constructed in the path of the coin and also make it possible to remove the coin from without and require the coin shaft to be divided for releasing the coins.

The cover wall e lying at a distance belowa cover e is at one point below the slide J formed with a depression 23 having conical side walls in which rests a ball 24. Further, there is mov-= ably arranged on the covering wall e at 25' a locking bolt 25 which consists, for example, of a rigid arm of sheet metal. The slide carries a pin 26 of such a height that when the machine is in the erect position it can slide freely over the locking bolt 25. As soon as the machine is placed in an oblique position or laid down on one side or turned upside down, the ball 24, is moved by gravity and on account of its weight, depresses the bolt 25 in the neighbourhood of the pin 26.

The slide f can therefore not be moved even when a correct coin is inserted. In order to avoid dirt collecting in the conical depression 23 it can be perforated at the lowest point at 23'.

If the slide is moved in the proper manner so that its driver d engages over the uppermost package 01, the outlet opening above the oblique guiding track b will be accessible at its upper end through the slot a for a knife blade or a similar tool so that the next package could be drawn out. In order to prevent this the slide also carries a closing wall 27 which reaches down to the oblique wall b and thus prevents access to the packages.

In order also to ensure the closing of the slot by the closing plate n in each case the spring arm y serving for actuating the closing plate n is pivotally mounted by means of pins y and is acted on by a separate spring 30 (Figs. 11 and 13). When the last package has been removed the spring 30 presses the spring arm g upwards through the slot y of the pressure plate 0 so that the arm y can lift the closing plate n somewhat whereby its hooks 12 come near to the slide 1.

What I claim is:

An automatic vending machine, comprising a casing having a coin slot, a compartment for the stack of articles, an inclined guiding track for the articles in front of said compartment, a spring, a slide guided above said track and said compartment, and movable against said spring, a member on said slide arranged to hold down the stack against elastic pressure and to engage in its tensioned position behind the uppermost article, a coin receiving and testing device connected to the slide and arranged below the coin slot in said casing, said device being guided by the side of said stack compartment and said guiding track, and means to block the slide and adapted to be released by a coin.

I FRITZ SCHULTE. 

